Refrigerating device



April 6, 1937. R. GAscHKE REFRIGERATING DEVICE Filed April 25, 19346 mayATTORNEY Patented Apr. 6, 1937 UNi'TED STATS anni' Application April 25,

5 Claims.

This invention relates to refrigerating devices, and more particularlysuch devices adapted to `preserve and humidify cheese and other foodproducts.

Heretofore, it has been the custom to sell cheese in bulk form, but ithas been found desirable to provide the cheese to grocery stores,especially chain grocery stores, already sliced, thereby obviating thenecessity for the grocer to slice cheese in the presence of a customer.However, the supplying of sliced cheese has been found objectionable inthat after a day or so the cheese becomes dry, and naturally unsaleable.The drying of the cheese takes place much more rapidly in electricrefrigerators than even in the Open air. In fact, with reference toSwiss cheese especially, it has been found to be practically impossibleto keep cheese in a sliced form in an electric refrigerator for a longerperiod than twenty-four hours without a material drying of the cheese.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a simple andinexpensive refrigerating device for preserving and humidifying cheesein order to maintain the proper amount of moisture at all times.

A further object is cal refrigerating and serving cheeses and can beconveniently for display purposes.

A further object is the provision of a simple and convenientrefrigerating and humidifying device for food products which occupies arelatively small space, and which can be effectively operated by usingice or water. The device has a structure which enables it to be readilycleaned from time to time.

These and other advantageous objects, which will later appear, areaccomplished by the simple and practical construction and arrangement ofparts hereinafter described and exhibited in the accompanying drawing,forming part hereof, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a refrigerating device embodying myinvention,

Fig. 2 is a side view of the device in section,

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a perspective view the device,

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a tray used in the device, and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a connection betweenelements of the device.

the provision of an economihumidifying device for preother foods, whichdevices located on a sales counter of a frame used in 1936, Serial No.'76,3i7

Referring to the drawing, the refrigerating and humidifying device isshown to comprise a casing having spaced walls 1 and 8, separated by aheat insulating material 9, such as generally emn ployed inrefrigerating devices. The ends of the 5 casing are inclined, one endbeing provided with a window l@ of glass, or similar transparentmaterial; and the other end frictionally receives a cover Il.

Positioned inside of the casing is a frame hav- 10 ing a pair of spacedU-shaped wire members i2 and a rectangular wire member bent into a Ushape to provide supports I3 and Il, which are of unequal height, for apurpose hereinafter eX- plained.

The upper ends of the legs of the members l2 are connected, by weldingor other means, to a rectangular wire member I5; which is connected towires I6, spaced apart and bent into U-shapes. The members I5 and I6form a support for a 20 tray Il, preferably made of glass or othersuitable material.

The U-shaped members I2, I3 and i4, which are connected by a rectangularwire member I', also support a lower tray I8, preferably made of 25glass or other suitable material.

The upper tray I1 has in the bottom 2| thereof apertures through whichpass flexible rubber tangs 2li by means of which sheets I9 of spongerubber are suspended so that the lower ends 30 thereof are spacedslightly from the tray I8. The tangs 20 are integral with the sheets i9.The bottom 2l of tray I1 is also provided with slots 22 directly abovethe sheets I9.

A metal pan 23 rests upon the members I3 and 35 I4, and due to thedifference in height of the members I3 and Iii, the pan is inclined withhandle 25 thereof elevated and adjacent the cover II. In Fig. 1, the pan23 is shown to have a plurality of squares of cheese positioned therein.40 The pan 23 has a plurality of Ventilating apertures 26 in the sidewalls and bottom thereof; and the end wall 24 is inclined and spacedslightly from the side walls, thereby enabling free circulation of airthroughout the pan at all times.

In using the device, the upper tray I1 is lled with cracked ice; and thewater resulting from the melting thereof passes through slots 22 andalso around the tangs 20, and trckles down the sheets I9 into the lowertray I8. In this manner 50 there is obtained an even cooling temperatureaccompanied by the amount of moisture necessary to maintain slicedcheese, or other products, in a proper condition for an indefinitelength of time. These cheese is sliced and placed on the 55 While thesheets I9 have been described as being made of sponge rubber, they canalso be made of felt, and other porous and absorbent ma- 10 terials.

From the above description it will be seen that there has been provideda simple and inexpensive device for conveniently and effectivelypreserving sliced Swiss cheese and other cheeses, pre- 15 venting dryingof the cheese by providing at all times the proper amount of moisture.

The foregoing disclosure is to be regarded as descriptive andillustrative only, and not as restrictive or limitative of theinvention, of which 20 obviously embodiments may be constructedincluding many modifications, without departing from the general scopeherein indicated and denoted in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a refrigerating and humidifying device for cheese and other foodproducts, a casing, a wire frame positioned in the casing, 30 tray and alower tray supported by said wire frame, spaced sheets of spong rubberdepending from the bottom of the upper try, said upper tray having slotsin the bottom thereof to enable the passage of water onto said sheets,and a pan for holding cheese or other food products positicned betweensaid sheets.

2. In a refrigerating and humidifying device for cheese and other foodproducts, a casing, a wire frame positioned in the casing, an uppertray, said sheets having their lower ends slightly spaced from the lowertray, means in the bottom the passage of water sheets, and means on saidframe for supporting said pan in an inclined position.

3. In a refrigerating and humidifying device for cheese .and other foodpositioned between said sheets.

4. In a refrigerating and humidifying device for cheese and other foodproducts, a casing, a frame positioned in the casing, a tray supportedby said frame, spaced sheets of water absorbent material depending fromthe bottom of said tray, said tray having slots in the bottom thereof toenable the passing of water onto said sheets and a pan for holdingcheese or other food products positioned between said sheets, and meansfor supporting said pan in an inclined position.

5. In a refrigerating and humidifying device for cheese and other foodproducts, a casing, a tray having slots in the bottom thereof, means forsupporting said tray, sheets of water absorbent material depending fromthe bottom of said tray and positioned directly beneath said slots, anda pan for holding cheese and other food products positioned between saidsheets.

RICHARD GASCHKE.

